Residents packed a town hall-style meeting in Westminster on Tuesday night to voice their concerns about the Firearms Safety Act, which would, among other things, ban assault-style weapons, require gun buyers to give their fingerprints to Maryland State Police and further restrict gun access to the mentally ill.

A new Washington Post poll showed that Maryland residents overwhelmingly support the gun legislation, but those at the Westminster town hall weren't among those supporters.

"I'm looking at this as basically we are at war, and the war is with the people who want to take our rights," said gun rights supporter Mark Ahlers during the event.

There is so much passion about the gun control bill in Carroll County that there was a line outside of the town hall -- in the fierce wind and rain -- for the chance to get inside and talk or vent about the legislation, 11 News reporter George Lettis said. Most, if not all, in attendance are gun owners and are vehemently against the governor's bill.

"This is people control. Add this to what we have now: Energy control, tax control, health care control, income control, birth control, death control, intellectual control, marriage control. Boil it all down -- we don't need this," said gun rights supporter John Vay.

Supporters of the gun control bill, which was crafted in the wake of the Sandy Hook school massacre, said the bill will keep more people safe from gun violence and keep guns out of the wrong hands.

Tuesday's town hall meeting came as state lawmakers on opposite sides of the issue attempted an unusual peace offering. Gun rights legislators invited their gun control colleagues to shoot weapons at a National Rifle Association-sanctioned target range on the Eastern Shore.

State senators will consider amendments to the gun control bill on Wednesday and could vote on it by Friday.